A’s select right-handed pitcher Mitch Spence in Major League Rule 5 Draft

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Oakland Athletics selected right-handed pitcher Mitch Spence from the New York Yankees organization in the first round of the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, the club announced today. The A’s did not select any players in the Triple-A portion of the draft.

Spence was selected from the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster with the first overall pick of the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The 25-year-old was a non-roster invitee with the Yankees last spring and went 8-8 with a 4.47 ERA in 29 starts with the RailRiders this year. Originally selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina-Aiken, Spence struck out 153 batters and walked 53 in 163.0 innings in 2023. Across four minor league seasons, he is 23-24 with a 4.35 ERA in 426.1 innings in 95 games, 74 starts.

In the minor league phase, catcher William Simoneit was selected from the A’s organization by Philadelphia (first round), right-handed pitcher Calvin Coker was selected by Detroit (second round), and outfielder Moises Gallardo was selected by Washington (fourth round).

Simoneit batted .237 with seven home runs and 39 RBI in 72 games with Double-A Midland this season and hit .259 with 22 home runs and 127 RBI overall across three minor league seasons with the A’s. Originally selected by Oakland in the 15th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, Coker went 3-4 with six saves and a 3.15 ERA in 74.1 innings across 46 games with Midland this season and is 6-7 with a 3.48 ERA in four minor league seasons with the A’s. Gallardo batted .280 with two home runs and 24 RBI in 31 games with the ACL A’s this year and hit .223 with eight home runs and 65 RBI in 106 career games with the DSL and ACL A’s.